A Year In The South (Novel)
This essay is based on your reading of the text A Year in the South, 1865 by Ash. This is not a paper on the Civil War or the reconstruction of South following the war. After you have read this text, write a thoughtful essay on ONE of the following questions, making sure to use evidence from the text support your arguments. You should refer only to Ash’s book for this assignment; outside sources are neither needed nor allowed.
1. What were the relationships between Southerners both white and black
and Yankee soldiers during the year 1865? From the many characters in this book, give examples of how the end of the war brought about these struggles. Give examples and quotes from A Year in the South to support your answer.
2. How did the different backgrounds of John, Cornelia, Lou, and Samuel affect
their abilities to adjust to the end of the war? How did the end of the war
affect their daily lives? Explain, making sure to support your answer with
evidence and quotes from the text.
3. What hardships did both black and white Southerners face in the last months of
the war and the first months of the post-war era in the South? Were these hardships unique to individuals because of their race, sex, age, or region? Explain,
making sure to give evidence and quotes from the text to support your answers.
